Luis Salinas is the owner of 24hr Passports and Visa Services. Born and raised in Austin, he graduated from St Edwards University with a degree in Business Administration in May 2021. He started his passport expediting business in April 2022 and has been in business for over 7 months. Luis says EGBI has been instrumental in his business’ success and has helped him every step of the way.
Luis shares his experience as a client of EGBI.
Do you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself?
I started my first business when I was 8 yrs old. I sold glow sticks and toys to kids at events where my mom was the photographer.
How did you first get involved with EGBI?
I got involved with EGBI through a friend’s recommendation, who was also a business owner. He told me how much of a positive influence EGBI has had on his business and convinced me to check it out.
Why is it important to support organizations such as EGBI?
It’s important to support organizations like EGBI because they support the wellbeing of our community, as well as foster economic growth and advancement.
How has your involvement with EGBI helped you grow professionally and personally?
My involvement with EGBI gave me the confidence to start my business and take a leap of faith. Thanks to them, I finally got the ball rolling.
Why is it important to learn information in your primary language?
Spanish is my first language and I believe it’s very important to embrace your roots. I was born in the U.S. and have lived here my entire life, but my parents are originally from Mexico. They would only allow me to speak Spanish at home and instilled a very deep sense of pride for my Mexican heritage. That is why I embrace learning in Spanish, and why I continue to develop my ability to communicate with others that share the same language.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.
Christina worked in Social Work for more than a decade and earned a Master of Science from UT-Austin. Christina then went on to work for the next decade serving the mentally ill population in various agencies in Austin. Though she thoroughly enjoyed supporting her clients and empowering their agency for change, she felt she needed to transition to living her dharma by teaching various aspects of Spirituality. During this time, Christina began to experience a spiritual awakening that transformed her view of the world and her role in it. Christina enjoys spending time in nature so you can find her on the hiking trails in Austin.
Aaron Gobert is also a University of Texas-Austin Alumni, who previously worked as an Audio Engineer with his own record company, “ATX Recording”. Aaron later pursued a career in the medical industry and worked for various agencies in the Austin area. During this time, Aaron began to educate himself about the Alkaline lifestyle and its benefits. Aaron went on to share this valuable information with Christina and they founded Natural Healing Wellness Co. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys educating others about genetics and human history.
Christina shares her experience as a client of EGBI.
Do you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself?
My husband and I are both University of Texas Alumni.
How did you first get involved with EGBI?
I attended one of Monica’s Marketing classes online first. Then I started coaching with her and took the 90 day goals course later.
Why is it important to support organizations such as EGBI?
I love the work that EGBI is doing to support small businesses in Austin. Starting a business is a challenging task, but it is nice to know I can call Monica or Joni to point me in the right direction.
How has EGBI helped you grow professionally and personally?
EGBI has helped me to step out of comfort zone in advertising my business and reaching my goals.
I especially loved the 90 day goal course. Though I did not reach all my goals, I was able to create some serious momentum that propelled my business forward, in a way I may not have accomplished on my own.
Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.
No matter what are the obstacles, never give up on your dream!
Every year, we honor the achievements of our clients and their contributions to the local economy at our annual Celebrating Success event. This year we will be celebrating our 15 year anniversary from when we were initially created to improve the technology digital divide in our community to now evolved to help business owners better understand how to run a successful business. Leading to our big commemoration we have been interviewing a client to highlight their success story each week, 15 in total.
Miranda Melendez is owner of I AM READY SWIM, LLC . Her company offers safe aquatic fun in Austin. She teaches swim lessons for all ages, and provides lifeguards and gate guards for events and neighborhood pools. I Am Ready Swim, LLC plays a huge part in making sure the pools stay nice and enjoyable for all residents.
Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Miranda Melendez.
Q: How has your
career added value to your life? To the community around you?
A: My career has added value to my life by giving me time and freedom to do what I want. The best part is I am busting my butt day and night with the rewarding feeling its for my OWN business. I love that we have impacted so many lives with safe swimming and have prevented so many drowning incidents. We sponsor most of our HOA pools. We give back by throwing Splash bashes for the residents at our pools to give the neighborhood something free and fun to do at the pools with the kids. I also go to local elementary schools and teach about water safety to the kids for their gym classes.
Q: How long have you
been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?
A: I have been working with EGBI for about 2 years now. EGBI has helped me in so many ways. They have taught me how to manage my books and actually understand what I am doing. They have believed in me and helped me when not too many people would due to my age. They have also helped me understand how to negotiate contracts with my business partners and expand my business.
Q: What would you
like everyone to know about you or your business?
A: I would like everyone to know that I am a strong believer in prayer and vision boards. I have watched my business grow from just me to 45 employees in 2 years. It has been so humbling to see my hard work finally start to show and I am grateful for every client and staff member I have come across.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: The accomplishment I am most proud of is making the newspaper for my senior project. I had recently lost my mom my senior of high school and decided to honor her by hosting a 5k walk for American Diabetes Association as my senior project for graduation. I ended being the first one to raise the most money for the foundation being a high school student in Texas.
Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself
A: I am also a hairdresser and I love doing hair and making people feel good about themselves. I grew up in a salon so its kind of ingrained in me. I run the swim business in the summer and do hair in the off season. I love to hustle and stay busy.
Miranda Melendez is the 13th of the 15 clients we have shared stories about each week leading up to our 15 year celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we serve. If you would like to further support these businesses, consider using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Celebrating Success Luncheon is a few weeks away on September 6th, 2019. Be sure to reserve your spot as you will not want to miss! If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.
Specializing in roadway directional boring and trenching.
Every year, we celebrate the achievements of our clients and their contribution to the local economy at our annual Celebrating Success event. This year, we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of EGBI supporting area businesses to become profitable, sustainable, and an asset to the community through our training, coaching, and support services. Leading up to our big anniversary celebration, we have been interviewing clients every week to feature a total of 15 success stories.
Debra Chaparro is the owner of DIG ONE SERVICES, a minority woman-owned business located in Austin, Texas. the company specializes in roadway directional drilling for traffic control systems, traffic light, street lighting, cameras, and power systems. Dig One Services also handles utility trenching and boring for water, gas, sewer, and cable.
Below is a Question & Answer we recently had with Debra.
Q: What would you
like everyone to know about you or your business?
A: Our construction business drills underground. We pay attention to completing customer’s work on time and on budget while always promoting safety.
Q: How has your
career added value to your life? To the community around you?
A: I have invested money on my business and work really hard with my husband. Also, the business we have been able to employ more people from the community.
Q: How long have you
been working with EGBI and how have they helped you?
A: I took business workshop series at EGBI. I met Barbra to get a certification of Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program. EGBI helped me to fill out all the applications.
Q: What is your
greatest wish?
A: I want to be recognized for what I do in the Austin area as a woman owned business. Also, my goal is to stand out and be different among the other companies doing similar service through my skills and quality.
Debra Chaparro is the 11th of the 15 clients we will share stories about each week leading up to our 15 years celebration. Please continue to follow us to read more about the businesses we assist. If you would like to further encourage these businesses, contemplate using the products and services of our alumni. To do so, visit our CLIENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
JOIN US! Celebrating Success Luncheon will be on September 6th, 2019. If you are interested in attending, reserving a table, or sponsoring our annual event, please contact Monica Peña at monica@egbi.org and 512-928-2594 . More information about the event HERE.
